BBC Learning English

Words in the News

9th December 2009
Transgender teenager sues McDonald's

Zikerria Bellamy, a teenager in the US who changed her gender from male to female, is
taking legal action against the fast food chain McDonald's for alleged discrimination. Andy
Gallacher reports:

Zikerria Bellamy is a 17 year-old male who's been living as a female for about the past six
years. According to a complaint, filed by the Transgender Legal Defense and Education
Fund, the teenager applied for a job at a McDonald's restaurant in Orlando. It's alleged that
two managers at the branch refused to give Miss Bellamy an interview and on one occasion a
manager saw the teenager, who arrived wearing a suit, and laughed at her. The complaint goes
on to claim that one of the managers later left an insulting voice message on Miss Bellamy's
answering machine. It's alleged the manager used a gay slur and informed the teenager that
she'd never be given a job. A spokesman for the branch here in Florida said that McDonald's
had a zero tolerance policy prohibiting discrimination or harassment. Most US states
don't have laws that specifically protect transgender people in the workplace.

Andy Gallacher, BBC News, Florida

Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2009

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Vocabulary and definitions

living as a female someone who was born as one gender (here, male) has
been dressing and behaving like the opposite gender (here,
female). A transgender person may also take drugs and
have surgery to change their gender from male to female
or from female to male

according to a complaint, filed from the point of view of the person or people bringing a
by case in front of a judge

applied for a job asked for employment

it's alleged it is suggested, without proof, that someone has done

something wrong

the branch the office, shop or here, restaurant, that forms part of a
large business organisation with many other similar
offices, shops or restaurants

to claim to say that something is true or is a fact, although you

cannot prove it and other people might not believe it

insulting rude or abusive

a gay slur a word or term that is insulting (as above) to homosexual

people

a zero tolerance policy
prohibiting discrimination or
harassment
have laws and rules that mean people are not allowed to
behave in an insulting or aggressive way to people based
on their race, sex, religion, sexual preference, etc.

the workplace a general term for a building or room where people work
(i.e. an office, shop, factory, etc.)

More on this story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8401568.stm

Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2009/12/091209_witn_transgender.shtml

Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2009

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